I’ll take this opportunity to mention some key announcements within the VR industry made this week from Google and Oculus.

Google: The digital behemoth displayed their mobile VR headset, Daydream View, for the first time. The headset will retail for US$79 and is hoped by Google to be the catalyst for mainstream VR adoption. Google have partnered with numerous entertainment providers and also plan for immersive content on their YouTube platform to be viewed with the device.

Oculus: Facebook’s subsidiary made a number of interesting announcements including the anticipated Touch controllers (RRP US$199) and a room scale sensor (RRP $79) that will allow users to walk around and be tracked by the VR system. From my perspective, the most interesting part of the Oculus Connect conference was a demo video of a wireless VR headset (labelled “Santa Cruz”) that incorporates room scale tracking and doesn’t require a cable linking it to a PC.

PSVR: On a side note, Sony’s PlayStation VR headset will be available as of this month and is set to be a driving force for VR, particularly in the gaming console space. With over 40 million PS4’s already owned by consumers, Sony is in a prime position to sell its $550 headset. Discussions with local console retailers in Perth have revealed that the second shipment of the headsets (expected prior to Christmas) is already 50%+ sold, despite the first shipment still not reaching WA yet.

So, what does the above mean for the VR industry and Unleashed VR? Google entering the market with a dedicated operating system (Daydream) designed specifically for immersive content signifies that the company is currently placing its bets on mobile VR. Oculus’ demo of the room scale tether-free headset also indicates a move towards mobility for VR. Both developments are the latest attempts to lower the barriers to adoption for the mass market, which can only be a positive sign for VR software companies such as Unleashed VR.

If you have any comments or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.